JENNY GOOD
DASC Symphony Director
Intramural Musicians Colorado President
Jenny Good encourages adults to begin or return to the study of music—on any instrument(s) and in any genre(s). Her musical training began with piano lessons as a child; she came back to playing an instrument when she picked up a cello at age 32. Since then, she’s played with numerous ensembles and she continues to seize diverse musical education opportunities.
As a cellist, Jenny seeks opportunities to play with adult amateurs in the Front
Range of Colorado—and beyond. After starting solo lessons with cellist Stephen
Weider, she became a regular participant of the Boulder Cello Project (including
playing in a high-altitude cello choir performance atop Mt. Sherman, elevation
14,043’, conducted by Psyche Cassandra Dunkhase); attended the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Academy Week, including playing in a Bach suites
masterclass held by principal cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski and performing at
Meyerhoff Concert Hall under the baton of conductor Marin Alsop and side-by-side with cellists including Bo Li and Seth Low); participated in multiple University of Wyoming Cello Festivals (Dr. Beth Vanderborgh, artistic director; Douglas Moore, conductor); took part in the Colorado Cello Summit (Adam Riggs, chair) at the Metropolitan State University of Denver; and played with the Golden Chamber Orchestra, hosted by Golden Music (Justino Perez, Joe Engel directors).
​
Jenny first participated with Intramural Musicians as a cellist in the Denver Adult Strings Camp in 2021, later playing in orchestral and chamber groups; she also played viola in a DASC Spruce Ensemble in 2023. She joined the staff in 2025. Jenny holds a BA in English & Spanish from Carnegie Mellon University and has a professional background in writing, editing, and public relations.
OLASUYI IGE
Willow Orchestra Director
Olasuyi Ige, is a violinist and educator who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music.
Olasuyi was previously a teaching artist at El Sistema Colorado, where he created meaningful bonds with students as he taught them their instruments and helped them find themselves and express themselves through music. He performs with the Symphony of the Rockies, Boulder Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, and Candlelight Denver, and he also teaches at the Colorado Academy.
Through his three core values of education, which are equity, inclusivity, and growth, he strives to create a long-lasting love of music in his students and in the audience.
RYAN WOODWORTH
Rosewood Orchestra Director
Mr. Ryan Woodworth is a 5th generation native Coloradan and a 3rd generation educator. He grew up in the Denver area and went to University of Northern Colorado for his Bachelor in Music Performance degree in the area of Double Bass under James Vaughn. After completion of his Bachelors degree, Ryan moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for his Masters in Double Bass Performance degree under Principal Bass Jeff Turner. Once completed, Ryan completed an additional certification in Music Education. Both graduate and postgraduate degrees were earned through Carnegie-Mellon University.
Ryan was tenured as Director of Orchestras at Highlands Ranch High School from 2009-2018. Under his direction the HRHS Symphony, Chamber, and Full Orchestras regularly received Superior Ratings in CHSAA and ASTA Large Group competitions. The HRHS Full Orchestra was selected as The Honor Full Orchestra for the Colorado Music Educators Conference in January 2017. Over the past nine years the orchestra program continued to grow both in numbers and quality while reaching the local community and building an expectation of excellence in artistry.
This is Ryan’s 16th year directing high school orchestras and 8th in BVSD and as Director of Orchestras at Boulder High School. Ryan enjoys grilling, golfing, cycling, fly fishing, and hiking with his wonderfully supportive wife Kara, and their four beautiful kids.
AMBER LOVATT
Violin Coach
Amber's journey with music began in kindergarten when she was introduced to the violin through Suzuki in the Schools. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Over the years, she has played with nearly a dozen orchestras across the country at both collegiate and professional levels and has been teaching private violin lessons since 2010. Amber’s teaching approach is well-rounded and inspiring, driven by her constant curiosity and willingness to explore new ideas and playing styles from fellow educators and mentors. After her son was born in 2020, Amber discovered the magic of Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) classes. She completed training with Danette Warren and Sharon Jones and began partner-teaching SECE classes alongside Vanessa Vari at Suzuki Strings of Denver. This experience deepened her passion for nurturing early musical development in babies, a passion that now complements her dedication to teaching violin.
In addition to her teaching, Amber serves as secretary on the board of the Suzuki Association of Colorado. On weekends, you might find her performing at a destination mountain wedding or playing with her bluegrass-punk band, Moonstone Quill. When she’s not holding a violin, Amber enjoys teaching yoga (500 RYT), weightlifting, practicing BJJ/MMA, skateboarding, or playing board games with her husband.
HEIDI SNYDER
Viola Coach
Heidi is the principal violist for the Symphony of the Rockies and Stratus Chamber orchestra. She is the violist for the New Dawn String Quartet. She also teaches four orchestras at St Mary's Academy in Greenwood Village, grades 3-12; assists the middle school orchestra teachers in Littleton Public Schools, and coaches the viola sectionals for the Continental League and Aurora Public Schools honor orchestra every year.
Heidi loves being part of the incredible communities created by orchestras!
JAKE THURSTON
Double Bass Coach
Originally from Buffalo NY, Jake Thurston earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music education from Buffalo State College and his Master’s Degree in Double Bass performance from the Fredonia School of music in Fredonia NY.
​
Jake Currently holds positions with the Boulder Symphony Orchestra and the Arapahoe Philharmonic and regularly subs with many orchestras in the area, including the Boulder Philharmonic, Greeley Philharmonic and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra. He previously was a member of the Buffalo Civic Orchestra, Four Centuries Chamber Orchestra and the Warren Philharmonic and subbed regularly with the Western NY Chamber Orchestra. Jake holds teaching positions as the Double Bass Instructor at Denver School of the Arts and Double Bass Studio TA at CU Boulder School of Music as well as maintaining a private double bass studio.
SARAH JYLKKA
Intramural Musicans Executive Director
Washington State Program Manager
TASC Symphony Director
Sarah Jylkka is a Washington-based professional violinist with over 15 years of experience in classrooms and orchestras. She has directed orchestras at El Sistema Colorado, coached for various student festivals in the Denver metro area, and served as an orchestra director for Mapleton Public Schools in Thornton, CO from 2017-2021. Today she remains active as an instrumental coach, performer, and proudly serves as the orchestra orchestra director at Spanaway Middle School in Spanaway, WA.
Sarah holds both a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN as well as an active Washington State Teacher's License endorsed in K-12 instrumental music. Sarah was the 2016 recipient of the DePauw University Music Citizen award granted to a student with outstanding service to the community through music as well as the 2o16 recipient of the Leah Curnutt Prize granted to an outstanding senior Music Education major. Sarah has been featured in publications including The Strad, Life on Capitol Hill, and VoyageDenver.
Notably, Sarah has performed with members of Elephant Revival, LVDY, The Blind Cafe Orchestra, Su Teatro, Nordic Daughter, Suhl Ensemble, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, Stratus Chamber Orchestra, recorded SFX for Mt. Mograph, and has designed sound for both The Pandemic Collective and Bewilderment Theater Company. Sarah has studied under Ericka Dicker, Dan Rizner, Tarn Travers, and Julia Taylor.
You can see Sarah perform on violin around the US with the Viking rock band, Nordic Daughter.